Label folding machine



m L. YOUNG LABEL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1937' 3 Sheets-Sheet l l @45 31, I. L. YOUNG I LABEL FOLDING MACHINE 1 Filed April 14, 19s"? 3Shets-Sheet 2 31,1939 L. YOUNG z m fi LABEL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April '14, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet s @GIWR' Juli/L2 Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to folding apparatus, and more particularly to the type employed for textile, paper and like products, and my main object is to provide a machine which will impart terminal folds to fabric labels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the type mentioned which operates at a rapid rate, whereby to accomplish the work on a quantity basis.

A still further object of the invention is to design the novel machine with a set of operative units which are positive in action, and prevent the feed from clogging whereby to render the machine dependable at all speeds and under any condition.

Another object of the invention is to construct the novel machine on lines of compactness and only with such units or parts as are strictly essential to its efficient operation.

With the above objects in View, and any others which may suggest themselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan View;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the type of label to be folded;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the label as folded;

Fig. 5 is a section on a reduced scale taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of a folding unit, and

Figs. '7 to 10 are, respectively, sections on a reduced scale taken on the lines 'l-l to Ill-l0 of Fig. 2.

The cloth or fabric labels under consideration originally come in a strip which may be printed or otherwise treated and folded with its side portions underneath. The strip so constituted is preferably formed into a roll, from which as much is drawn as is desired for the purpose of fabricating the individual labels. Specific reference to the drawings shows a unit cut from the strip referred to in Fig. 3, and it is the purpose of the present machine to fold the end portions of this unit downwardly as indicated by dotted lines in the same figure, and then under, as appears in Fig. 4.

Although any means may be employed to feed the label strip into the novel folding machine, I have as a matter of example illustrated a suitable form of feed claiming no novelty therefor. It will sufiice if the feed accomplishes the periodical advance of the foremost end of the label strip upon the machine, in a position to have label units out off in successive order.

In accordance with the foregoing, dotted lines in Fig. 2 indicate the foremost portion of the label strip at l5. This strip enters upon a platform l6 having guides Mia and equipped with a feed roll ll carried by a shaft IS. The platform is formed with an arch l9 which carries a pair of vertically adjustable bearings 20 for rollers 20a which bear with some tension on the feed roll 1 I. The latter carries the material strip I5 in the direction of the arrows seen in the upper center of Fig. 2, while the rollers 20a hold the strip down.

It is intended according to the above form of feed that the feed roll I6 advance the strip l5 a portion at a time upon the table 2| of the folding machine, and for this purpose the mechanism may be as follows. A power shaft 22a is fitted with a disc 22 having a surface slot 23 for the adjustable connection of a pitman 24 leading to a gear rack 25. The latter operates a gear 26 free on a shaft 21 in a bearing 28, such gear having a hub extension 26a formed with a crank 26b. The crank carries a pawl 29 drawn by a spring 2911 on a ratchet gear 30 mounted on the shaft l8. It is thus seen that, while the gear 26 receives reciprocating motion from the gear rack 25, only one direction of this motion is transmitted to the shaft l8 each time, accomplishing the label feed as anticipated. I have not given this mechanism extensive illustration, as its specific construction is not important in the present instance. As previously mentioned, any mechanism which will feed the label strip to the position indicated in Fig. 2 at intervals upon the site of the table 2| should be satisfactory.

It is the first function of the novel machine to sever the foremost unit from the balance of the strip. The unit is then fed sidewise to a set of folding elements; and it is finally pressed and delivered into a magazine. The instrumentalities for accomplishing these functions are compactly grouped in a sturdy frame 30, whose side walls rise as indicated at 300. and 301). At the rear end of the frame a mainshaft BI is journaled in the frame walls, extending therefrom toreceive a chain 31a or other suitable drive from a power shaft 33. Necessarily, this shaft has a connection (not shown) with the drive disc 22, in order that the action of the folding machine may be in synchronism with the label feed.

In order to cut a unit from the label strip I5 I employ a knife 35 situated just inwardly of the frame wall 30a. The knife is pivoted intermediate its ends on a pin 35a. carried by an upward lug 300 of the related frame-wall; and the rear end of the knife is connected at 3511 to a depending link 350. The latter is connected with its lower end at 35:1 to the middle portion of a crank 35c pivoted with one end on a jackshaft 32 journaled in the walls of the frame. The opposite end of the crank 350, carries a roller 35 under a substantially oval cam 35g mounted on the mainshaft 3|. The pivot 35a for the knife 35 also carries a spring connection 35h effective to press the knife against one edge of a slot cut in the table. Thus, full lines in Fig. '7 indicate the position of the knife mechanism after the knife has taken a cut through the table 2|, while dot-and-dash lines show the extreme of the movement in the opposite direction. A spring 352 extends from the link 35c to the frame wall 30a, as more clearly shown in Fig. 7, to hold the roller 35 to the cam 359.

After the foremost portion of the label strip was fed upon the table 2|, as previously described, a holding device 40, later called a pusher, descended upon the label portion underneath to hold the same while the knife was to out such portion from the remainder of the strip. The element G9 is in the form of an arcuate blade with a front edge, such edge occurring over the forepart of the label unit. The pusher 30 is carried by a tapered arm 40a. which is journaled with its rear end on a cross-pin 45b. The latter is carried by a pendent lever 406 whose lower end is journaled on the jackshaft 32. Such lower end is also extended rearwardly with a crank 40d carrying a roller 40c under a substantially oval cam 49 carried by the mainshaft 3|. It is seen from Fig. 8 that the pusher ili'is adapted to be slid over the table 2| from the position indicated by full lines to that indicated by dot-and-dash lines, and vice-versa. The arm 40a of the pusher is drawn downwardly by a spring 40g connected to the lever 480, in order to maintain the pusher on the table at all times; and a spring 40h draws on the lever 460 to a frame rod 40m, for maintaining the roller We against the cam 40].

It is understood that the action of the pusher is to move the label unit sidewise into the zone of the folding elements. With this done, the pusher returns to take hold of the next label unit presented by the feed mechanism, but must be lifted in order to be clear of the label units on the back-stroke. The lifting agent is a horizontal bar 45, which occurs directly under a roller 58i carried by an arm 4011' which extends forwardly from a side lug 45k carried by the lever 400 of the pusher mechanism. The bar 35 is carried by inclined parallel links 45a pivoted with their lower ends in the frame wall 35?), as indicated at 4513. A short counter-clockwise movement of the links 450. suffices to lift the pusher to the desired clearance, and this movement is induced at the proper time by a mechanism leading to the mainshaft 3|. As seen in Fig. 2, the rear link has its lower portion in the form of a hub 450 from which a crank 55d extends downwardly and in the direction of the mainshaft to make peripheral contact through the agency of a roller 45c with a cam 45) carried by the mainshaft. It is seen from Fig. that the action of the cam is to swing the lifter mechanism from the position indicated by full lines to that indicated by dot-and-dash lines, the initial and changed positions of the pusher also being indicated by corresponding lines.

It is now evident that the pusher imparts an advancing stroke to each label unit fed, and in doing this, the end portions of such unit enter between the sides 50 of the folding means located near the front end of the table, such means first having lateral formations 50a, then inclined continuations 50b, and finally closing formations 50c, whereby to fold such end portions under upon the main stock of the unit as indicated in Fig. 4. At this time the unit is in a position of entrance between a pair of superimposed rollers 55 and 56, which turn in opposite directions and are urged one to the other in order to both press the folded formations flatly upon the unit and feed the finished label in a forward direction to drop into a magazine 51. The rollers 55 and 58 carry meshing gears 55a. and 56a, and the latter gear is extended with a sprocket 56b to receive a chain drive 56c from a sprocket 56d carried by the mainshaft 3|. The chain 560 is off-set by idlers 56c and 56 carried by the frame wall 3% in order to provide clearance for the links 45a. and their connections with such wall. The assembly of the rollers 55 and 56 is mounted in bearings 569 over the frame walls, the bearings including a spacing plate 56h between them and a suitable bracket and spring assembly 562' to adjustably tension the upper roller in relation to the lower one. This mechanism has not been shown in extensive detail, as it is typical of other pressing roller assemblies.

The magazine 51 has a concave curvature in order to lead the labels falling therein in a forward direction, so as to readily emerge and drop into a suitable receptacle. However, since the labels in the magazine may have a tendency to clog or stack, I employ a device to pat them periodically and so keep the zone of discharge from the pressing rollers clear. The patting element is a plate 60 positioned over the magazine in the zone just mentioned, and such plate is carried by an arm 55a which takes a forward and downward course, being medially pivoted on a final shaft 33 carried between the frame walls. The lower end of the arm 60 is connected at 60b to a long link 66c which extends rearwardly in the direction of the mainshaft 3|. Here the link is formed with a longitudinal slot 60d to receive and ride on the shaft, the link then continuing to receive a side roller 60c in a position behind a cam 60f carried by the shaft. As seen in Fig. 9, the patting mechanism just described is moved from the position indicated by full lines to that indicated by dotand-dash lines, so that any labels stacked or located in the zone of discharge frontally of the pressing rollers 55 and 55 are patted down or depressed by the patter 60. Since this action occurs with every revolution of the mainshaft, the patting impulses are sufiiciently frequent to keep the discharge zone free at all times. Also, it will be understood that the design of the cams controlling the operations of the several mechanisms described will be such as to secure the proper timing and harmonious co-operation thereof to attain the desired result. A spring 60g from the link 600 to the rod 40m serves to hold the roller 60c to the cam 60).

While the magazine 51 has one side wall 57a and its rear 51b stationary, it is desirable that the other side wall 51c be adjustable laterally, such as between the full-line and dot-anddash line positions of Fig. 2 whereby to vary its capacity or adjust it to labels of different final widths. While the adjustment mentioned may be secured in various ways, I prefer that the outer wall 510 of the magazine be supported by upper and lower brackets 51d which are slidable through the side wall 301). Thus, the wall 510 may be adjusted by hand to any lateral position, and the pressing unit represented at 562' may be moved outwardly along the shaft 56 where the pusher 40 and table 2| are made wide for a larger label unit.

It will be evident from the above description that I have provided a machine for the purposes anticipated which compactly groups a series of motive units to accomplish the desired functions. The units are positive in their actions and. take their motion from a common source, namely the mainshaft. Mechanical complications are thus eliminated, and the machine is efiicient both from an economical and an operative point of view. The novel machine is also designed to impart its action to the work in the shortest space and most natural direction, whereby to avoid the use of extensive apparatus or difficulties in the handling of the work. Further, the mechanism is of a nature to operate at high speed and therefore have a large production capacity. This is based on the diversion of the label-unit laterally from the course of the feed. Thus, the label ribbon is always out where it enters on the folding table and the label unit taken out of the way so as not to interfere with or clog the feed. Finally, the machine is of a rugged nature and built to operate indefinitely without appreciable attention or repair.

While the frame of the machine may be disposed rigidly, I prefer to carry it on a screw shaft 6| set in a base 62. By means of nuts 63 the frame may be adjusted as to slight variations in angle in relation to the base.

While I have described the novel machine along specific lines, various minor changes or refinements may develop from time to time and I desire to consider all such changes and refinements within the scope and spirit of the invention as covered in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for treating the foremost end portion of a periodically-fed label strip comprising means to sever said end portion from the balance of the strip to form course, and side cams carried by the table and trained from open toward closing positions, such side cams operating to fold the end portions of the unit upon the latter.

2. A machine for treating the foremost end portion of a periodically-fed label strip comprising means to sever said end portion from the balance of the strip to form a label unit, a table upon which the latter is disposed, means for pushing the unit in a direction sidewise from its original course, means for folding the side portions of the unit upon the same, and a set of super-imposed pressing rollers to flatten the folds upon the unit and discharge the latter.

3. A machine having a horizontal table, means for advancing a label unit along the latter and discharging the unit with its end portions folded upon the same, a receptacle to receive the folded units as discharged, and means over the receptacle to depress such units as are in and above the zone of discharge to a position below such zone.

4. The structure of claim 3, said means comprising a frame, a mainshaft rotatable from a power source, an arm pivoted in the frame and extending in the zone of unit discharges with a patting element, an extension of the arm beyond the pivot in the form of a crank, a cam on the mainshaft, and a link from the free end of the crank and directed to serve as a follower for the cam, whereby to impart alternate rising and falling motions to the patting element from the rotation of the mainshaft.

5. The structure of claim 3, said receptacle having a concaved and forwardly extending bottom, and an adjustable side wall for the receptacle.

6. The structure of claim 3, said receptacle having a concaved and forwardly extending bottom, one side Wall of the receptacle being free, outwardly extending brackets from said side wall, the corresponding side of the frame being perforated for the passage of said brackets and the slidable adjustment of the same to vary the width of the receptacle.

7. The structure of claim 1, said machine including a transverse frame opposite said end portion of the label strip, a main shaft in one end of the frame and formed with a longitudinal series of cams, and follower means for said cams and operative to actuate said severing, pushing and folding means.

IRVIN L. YOUNG. 

